Halifax Ranks in Top 10 for Business Friendliness

HALIFAX, NS – October 22, 2015 – Halifax has been named one of the most business friendly, mid-sized cities in the Americas by fDi Magazine.

Halifax ranked 9th for Business Friendliness in fDI Magazine’s Top 10 American Cities of the Future 2015/16 study. The annual study evaluates over 400 North, South and Central American locations by population, across five categories - Economic Potential, Business Friendliness, Human Capital and Lifestyle, Cost Effectiveness and Connectivity. Halifax was ranked against 76 other mid-sized cities.

“The Municipality is committed to creating a competitive and attractive business climate and it’s paying off. You don’t have to look far to see the evidence of new construction and business happening all around Halifax,” says Halifax Mayor Mike Savage. “We know we can do more, and we will.”

Halifax’s economic outlook and future is more promising than it has been in decades. According to the Conference Board, Halifax’s real GDP is expected to grow by 2.3% in 2015; faster than the national average (1.6%) and most other cities in Canada. The manufacturing sector is doing very well in 2015, with activity at Halifax Shipyard being the clear driver of growth, while the construction sector is on track to post double-digit growth in 2015.

“Halifax is increasingly on the radar for national expansions and foreign direct investment – particularly for companies in the financial services, ocean tech, advanced manufacturing, and knowledge based sectors,” says Ron Hanlon, President and CEO of the Halifax Partnership. “Halifax is attracting significant investment from global companies like RBC and Boeing because our city offers the talent, expertise, competitive costs, and growth potential companies are looking for.”

The 2015/2016 rankings by fDi Magazine are the third of their kind. Published by the fDi Intelligence division of the Financial Times, fDi Magazine is a leading title for senior-level executives at multinational corporations and others involved in site-selection decisions.

The Halifax Partnership is Halifax’s economic development organization. We help keep, grow and get business, talent and investment in Halifax. We do this through leadership on economic issues, our core programs, our partnerships across all sectors, and by marketing Halifax to the world.